How VP Osinbajo, Minister, 10 others survived helicopter crash

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a Minister and 10 others, yesterday, in Kabba, Kogi State, survived when the helicopter in which they were  travelling crashed. The incident happened at Kabba Township Stadium.

The VP, who was in Kogi in continuation of the TraderMoni scheme, was scheduled to visit Kabba, Okene and Idah, headquarters of  Kogi West, Central and East respectively.

At exactly 2:40 pm, the first chopper in Osinbajo’s  entourage made a successful landing and was followed by the second  chopper conveying the VP.

The chopper conveying the VP, which made its landing around 2:45 pm, was, however, unlucky as the tail of the chopper caught one  of the vehicles  parked in the arena and tumbled immediately.

Emergency prayers erupted in the crowd when part of the chopper’s wings got severed from the main body.

It took several  minutes before the door of the chopper could be forced open.

The VP, who was subsequently freed  from his seat belt and carried out of the chopper, took some minutes to stand and waved to the waiting crowd.

He was immediately taken away to  an hotel  where he  rested before proceeding to the palace of  the Obaro of Kabba, who doubles as the Chairman, Okun Traditional Council, HRM, Oba Solomon Owoniyi.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, later yesterday, Osinbajo expressed thanks to Nigerians for their concern over the chopper crash.

The statement said the VP, after the mishap, continued his engagements in Kogi, engaging the people on the Next Level plan of the Buhari administration.

He quoted him as saying, “We are safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern, and thank you to the crew who managed the situation well.

“We believe that God will continue to keep us and Nigeria safe even as we go higher. We continue Next level engagements in Kabba, Kogi State.”

In a follow-up statement, also by Akande, last night, the spokesperson  narrated  the incident. The statement said: “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, departed Abuja around 1pm today on a chopper ride to Kogi State in continuation of the Family Chats & Next Level engagements.

“Prof. Osinbajo headed first to Kabba, and while landing at the Kabba Stadium, the helicopter suddenly skidded sideways  until it halted on its side few metres away from the intended resting spot.

“Alongside VP Osinbajo, the Minister of State for Labour and  Productivity, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, senior presidential aides, security officials and the crew; there were a total of 12 people on board. everyone came out safely after the incident.

“We are grateful to God for His protection and safety, and we thank the crew and security personnel for their prompt response and service. We are also grateful for the tremendous expressions of concern and affection, as well as prayers from all.

“As is procedural, a full investigation into the causes of the incident would be conducted by aviation authorities.

“The Vice President is continuing the planned engagements in Kogi State as scheduled.”

Shock, gratitude to God

The All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi, and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State expressed shock over the helicopter crash.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement, said the party continued to pray for the safety of all its leaders.

“We thank God our vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is safe and sound along with his aides following his involvement in a helicopter accident which occurred in Kabba, Kogi State while undertaking the All Progressives Congress #NextLevelEngagements ahead of the #2019Elections”, the statement said.

“The Party prays for continuous safety of our leaders and general progress of our great country.

‘We also congratulate @ProfOsinbajo, an alumnus of Igbobi College @ICYaba on the institution’s 87 founders day anniversary being marked today”.

In its own statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP thanked God for the safety of the Vice President, members of his entourage and the crew.

The party, however, called for a thorough investigation “into the traumatic incident” adding that “the safety of the nation’s leaders, and of course, all Nigerians, must be guaranteed, especially at this critical time

It also urged all Nigerians regardless of creed, ethnicity and political affiliation, to continue to pray for God’s continued intervention in the affairs of the nation.

On his part, Dickson urged Nigerians to thank God for sparing the lives of Osinbajo and other passengers in the helicopter.

He said that the citizenry should be grateful to the Almighty God for preventing what would have been a major tragedy especially at this critical period of heightened political activities in the country.

The Bayelsa governor said, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, that Nigerians should regard themselves as members of a solid and united family irrespective of political differences and platforms.

Reacting on the incident, last night, Peter Obi , who was on campaign with his presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, in Umuahi, Abia State at the time of the crash, expressed shock over the incident and gratitude to God for sparing the VP’s life as well as the lives of others in the chopper with him.

Obi prayed God to continue to protect all those running around on campaign and Nigerians in general.

He called on Nigerians to remain prayerful at all times.

Osinbajo, speaking at the Obaro of Kabba’s palace, his first stop in the visit to Kogi, the VP expressed gratitude to God for surviving the chopper crash.

He said, “We are extremely grateful to the Lord for preserving our lives from the incident that just happened. Everyone is safe and no one is maimed. God has kept us safe and alive, delivered us from death so we can do more for our people and country.”

Yesterday’s incident was the second time Osinbajo’s helicopter would be involved in an incident.In June 2017, he survived a similar accident when the chopper he was traveling in crash-landed shortly after take off in Gwagawalada, Abuja.

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ASUU Strike Continues As Meeting With FG Ends In Deadlock

The end to the four-month old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), is not in sight as the re-conciliatory meeting between the Federal Government and the striking lecturers which held on the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in Abuja last night, ended in a stalemate.

ASUU had embarked on the strike since November last year following the failures of Federal government to implement the agreement reached on the funding of universities, the payment of outstanding earned allowances and sundry issues.

Before Friday’s meeting which lasted about three hours, a five hour meeting two weeks ago could not resolve the differences in the government’s position and the demands of ASUU, although the minister said that” substantial progress was made and that with the few areas of disagreement remaining, the strike would soon be over.”

Unlike before, both ASUU and the minister declined to disclose what the meeting agreed upon and when the strike will be called off.

After much prodding, ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi just said progress is being recorded.

“We are making progress,” he quipped and declined to say if government has agreed to their demands for the strike to be called off.

The next meeting between the lecturers and the Federal government comes up innext Thursday February 7th.

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Billionaire kidnapper: Evans loses in court

An Ikeja High Court has told alleged kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans that there was no proof that he was tortured by the police.

Giving a ruling admitting Evans’ June 11, 2017 confessional statement into evidence, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, noted that the 1999 Constitution did not require that statements to the police must be in a specific form.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the judge also said that based on Evans’ evidence videotaped confession played in court on Oct. 26, 2018, there was no proof that Evans was tortured to provide details of his alleged misdeeds as he claimed.

DAILY POST earlier reported that the alleged kidnap kingpin claimed that he was tortured and forced to make all the confessions he earlier made to the police when he was arrested.

The Judge said, “In the video that was played in open court, the first defendant was cautioned and he signed a word of caution, when he was asked his profession he said he was a businessman, he said so with a smile.

“In the video the first defendant asked the investigating police officer to write his statement on his behalf, the first defendant sat on a sofa and after the recording of the statement, the first defendant signed.

“In the video, the court cannot see any coercion directed at the first defendant.

“When the witness for the prosecution was cross-examined, he categorically stated that the first defendant was not tortured when his statement was taken.”

Justice Oshodi said the alleged kidnap kingpin did not provide any evidence to court to back the allegations of extra- judicial killings he made against the police.

“The first defendant has not provided evidence of any inducement, threat or promise in the trial-within-trial.

“The court is not unmindful that the first defendant said he was slapped; cigarettes extinguished on his hands and saw people being murdered by the police.

“The allegation that the police murdered some people is a criminal allegation that he did not prove and there is no blood seen in the video.

“The first defendant did not give any evidence as to the treatment of the injuries he sustained.

“The first defendant did not contradict any part of the video played. There is no proof that the statement was made involuntarily, the statement is admitted and marked Exhibit B,” he said.

Following the ruling, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), requested for an adjournment due to the absence of the fourth prosecution witness, Insp. Idowu Haruna.

“My Lord, unfortunately the prosecution witness is not in court and we will have to ask for an adjournment.

“The witness sustained injury in an accident and he is still recovering from the injury,” she said.

Mr Olanrewaju Ajanaku, Evans’ defence counsel, had no objection to the request for an adjournment.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until Feb. 22 for continuation of the evidence of Haruna and trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the trial-within-trial held on Oct. 26, 2018, Evans claimed that his alleged confessional statement to the police was not obtained voluntarily.

The alleged kidnap kingpin alleged that police officers tortured him and made him witness executions in a bid to get him to admit to his crimes.

Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

The six were arraigned on Aug. 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd., Donatus Dunu, from whose family they allegedly collected 223,000 Euro (N100m) as ransom.

Evans and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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EFCC arrest 19 “Yahoo boys” in Ibadan, recovers female underwear, cars

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday morning nabbed 19 suspected internet fraudsters in Ologuneru and Akobo areas of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Tony Orilade, the commission’s acting Head, Media and Publicity made this known in Ibadan, NAN reports.

According to him, 15 of the suspects were arrested at Ologuneru area while the remaining four were nabbed at Akobo area.

”All the suspects who are between the ages of 21 and 35 were arrested at their hideout in the early hours of Friday.

”The commission got wind of their activities following series of intelligence report.

“Which alleged that they engage in various fraudulent activities ranging from obtaining money by false pretences through sending of scam emails to unsuspecting victims.

”Some are engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.

”Among the things recovered from the suspects included four exotic cars, five laptops, 20 telephones, including 10 iPhones and one small bag containing items suspected to be fetish objects.

”Others are several documents, including international passports and ATM cards.

”SIM cards, one exotic car, laptops, telephones, female under-wears and four bags of fetish objects were recovered from four of the suspects arrested for cyber crimes at Akobo area.

”The suspects are: Babatunde Afeez, Akorede Olalekan, Adeleye Damilola and Moshod Richard.

“Others are Bamidele Samson, Bamidele Philip, Tunji Sowale, Bololaji Olalekan and Abdulrauf Abiodun, Olaleye Pelumi and Anuoluwapo Olanrewaju.

”The remaining ones are: Paul Damilola, Olateye Tobi, Arewa Ibrahim, Oyesanmi Oluwaseun, Olaleye Israel, Adediran Kemisola, Omobolade Alarape and Olowolusi Oluwatomisin,” he said

He said that all the suspects would soon be arraigned in court soon.

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APC crisis: Buhari postpones Zamfara campaign rally

President Muhammadu Buhari has postponed the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential campaign rally to Zamfara state, slated for Sunday.

The postponement was being linked to the crisis rocking the party which started with the party’s primaries in gubernatorial, national assembly and state assembly positions.

It was reliably gathered that one of the principal actors in the crisis and governorship aspirant, Senator Kabiru Marafa had called President Buhari to cancel the visit because of the backlash that would come from it.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had released the final list of candidates for the March 2 governorship and State House of Assembly elections without that of APC in Zamfara.

Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that the advance party for the rally had left the State House before information was sent to them to come back.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina confirmed the postponement.

But speaking to State House correspondents, Senator Marafa who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream said he was not aware of the postponement of the rally.

He said, “I am not aware of the cancellation of the APC Zamfara rally; honestly because I was not told. Like I said, I just submitted a proposal which I think will serve the interest of our party, the president and our people.

“We don’t have candidates for now because of the political impasse that characterized Zamfara State in the last few months and the president is billed to be in Zamfara on Sunday, Feb. 3

“Because of the rumple between disagreeing parties, we felt it is better Mr President suspends his visit to Zamfara. After all, we are there; we can campaign for him; he knows us; he knows our individual capacities; there is no point bringing all the factions under one umbrella, because once the president is there, if you like the president and you are with him, you will like to show your face.

“However, we feel it is avoidable; but you cannot come to the president with just one single suggestion. So, I just put my opinion across; that if it is a must; maybe the party has fixed Feb. 3 for the visit, then we want to be excused because there is no way President Muhammad Buhari will go to Zamfara and my face is not seen and if my face is not seen, people will ask questions.

“I think it is not fair just to absent like that. We are not doing what we are doing to impress anybody; we have already gotten all the necessary trust and belief from Mr President even if he is not there, we will do the right thing.

“But if the party or the Presidential Campaign Council feels they must be in Zamfara on Sunday, we and our supporters want to be excused and we will conduct our own rally for the president on a different date and we will televise it live on NTA so that everybody can see.

“So let everybody show his support in Zamfara not to come together and then everybody will be claiming victory that I pulled this crowd; let everybody stand on his own. The most important thing is that we all believe in Mr President and we all like him and we will support him and we want him to win; so let us work individually, and Feb. 16, we will all converge on the box and show what we can do but let the people of Nigeria see us individually.”

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Buhari reveals why foreign governors attended APC rally in Kano, blasts PDP

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has revealed why Nigerien Governors attended his presidential rally in Kano on Thursday.

In a statement by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Buhari said the main opposition was panicky and jittery.

He explained that African political office seekers were trooping into the country to understudy his phenomenon.

Buhari maintained that the foreign governors’ presence at the Kano rally has not broken any Nigerian law.

The statement added, “Nigeria has been gifted with an honest leader, a man endowed with rare qualities and people are trying to copy that.

“If our neighbours from Niger come to witness how President Buhari is doing his politics, what is the problem with that? Is there any law that is broken? Or did they see anyone that will buy vote or collect PVC?

“What we want PDP to know, there is a Buhari phenomenon that is sweeping across the entire continent. Candidates for national leadership in each country are doing whatever they can to understand the Buhari phenomenon, to copy it, to institute it.

“That’s why people from the African continent…when they had the presidential election in Ghana, there was a candidate who branded himself the Buhari of Ghana.

“When they had the presidential election in Chad last year, there was a Buhari of Chad. They had printed posters with their pictures with Buhari side by side.

“So, it’s jealousy. They are panicky and jealous. It should worry PDP that nobody is coming across the border to understudy PDP.”

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PDP campaign DG joins APC

Former Gombe DG Bala Bello Tinka met President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday night in Aso Villa, Abuja

The Director General of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign organisation in Gombe State Bala Bello Tinka has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),said an aide of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Coming exactly a fortnight to the presidential election, the defection of Alhaji Tinka deals a massive blow to the PDP in Gombe. PDP currently governs the state, and has done so since 2003,” Buhari’s spokesman Femi Adeshina said in a statement on Friday.

“President Muhammadu Buhari campaigns in Gombe Saturday and Alhaji Tinka is expected to formally join the APC, alongside others, during the event.” he added.

Adesina said Tinka met with the president on Thursday night at the State House, Abuja, and pledged allegiance to the ruling party.

Tinka, a top businessman in the state and a close ally of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, bidded for the opposition party’s gubernatorial ticket but was unsuccessful.

But the PDP said Tinka was expelled from the party.

The party’s State’s Chairman, Joel Jagafar stated in a statement on Saturday that the former DG breached the party’s code of conduct by emerging the Governorship candidate of Democratic People’s Party (DPP)in the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) 2019 general election list of candidates.

“The subject list has number 29, Alhaji Bala Bello Tinka as Governorship candidate of Democratic People’s Party (DPP) whom hitherto was the Director-General of the 2019 Gombe state campaign of the party,”Jagafar said.

“This is a breach of section 10(1) and 58(1) of the People’s Democratic Party constitution (2017 as amended). In view of the foregoing, Alhaji Bala Bello has been relieved of his appointment as Director-General of the 2019 campaign with immediate effect”.

Meanwhile in January 2018 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detained Tinka for channeling illegal funds for PDP 2015 campaign.

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